cf. means “compare” and comes from the Latin confer. It’s used in writing to point you to something that should be compared with the current point, not just to say “see.”

Quick use

  • cf. = compare.
  • Often appears in academic writing, footnotes, or citations.
  • It can introduce a related or contrasting source.

Example

  • “The results differ from earlier findings (cf. Smith 2020).”

Small caution

It does not simply mean “see.” In formal writing, cf. suggests comparison, while see is used to point to a source more directly.

If you want, I can also explain how to use cf. correctly in a sentence.